Really sad news regarding Tommy Baldwin.
 

R.I.P.

Tommy “Sponge” Baldwin, so called because of the work, with and without the ball,  he soaked up during a match.  Never less than 100% effort and never went missing when things were not going well.  His run off the ball drawing off a Leeds defender for Hutch’s equaliser at Wembley 1970 was classic Tommy.  RiP my friend, when you have settled in upstairs you might put a heavenly 5 a side team together with Ossie, John Hollins, Cat Bonetti and Hutch.

That game in 1985.

Some night, a LC semi-final v a North East team, and a team including a former CFC favourite - Flash Walker, who is on the far right of the photo.  The geezer in the centre circle trying to side step Eddie was called - I think - John Leftley who hopped out of the front of the benches and wanted to thump Walker for scoring against us.  I have posted on this before including video footage of the bloke charging the North Stand armed with a plastic chair.  The aggro was not just on the pitch and in the stands, but also in the players bar where Walker thought it funny to ask if any CFC players wanted tickets for the final, enter stage left David Speedie, fists flying.  And if that wasn’t enough some of our mob ambushed Wet Spam at Parsons Green station on their way back from Wimbledon.  All in one night, ahh those were the days. 

4 minutes ago, Gate 13 said:

Some night, a LC semi-final v a North East team, and a team including a former CFC favourite - Flash Walker, who is on the far right of the photo.  The geezer in the centre circle trying to side step Eddie was called - I think - John Leftley who hopped out of the front of the benches and wanted to thump Walker for scoring against us.  I have posted on this before including video footage of the bloke charging the North Stand armed with a plastic chair.  The aggro was not just on the pitch and in the stands, but also in the players bar where Walker thought it funny to ask if any CFC players wanted tickets for the final, enter stage left David Speedie, fists flying.  And if that wasn’t enough some of our mob ambushed Wet Spam at Parsons Green station on their way back from Wimbledon.  All in one night, ahh those were the days. 

I'm pretty sure they scored with one of our fans  on the pitch and actually in our penalty area, the ball missing him somehow and ending up in the goal . Dunno if there's footage of it, I know the camera's were there, think it was just for the news though.

 

I remember some bloke trying to retrieve a seat from the pitch in front of gate 13, he was felled by a another seat flying like a frisbee and hitting his head.

We left before the end,  turned on the car radio , the announcer said " back to the game at Stamford bridge...  Next announcer..." If you can call it a game, it's more like World war three out there"  those were the days when you could park a few minutes from the ground !

On 22/01/2024 at 17:02, Paul70 said:

Did they find the old coins that were supposed to have been buried deep down when the stand was bulldozed? 

Apparently not. According to Bates !

On 22/01/2024 at 22:00, Boyne said:

The finest football team...

The world has ever seen.....

11 hours ago, Gate 13 said:

Some night, a LC semi-final v a North East team, and a team including a former CFC favourite - Flash Walker, who is on the far right of the photo.  The geezer in the centre circle trying to side step Eddie was called - I think - John Leftley who hopped out of the front of the benches and wanted to thump Walker for scoring against us.  I have posted on this before including video footage of the bloke charging the North Stand armed with a plastic chair.  The aggro was not just on the pitch and in the stands, but also in the players bar where Walker thought it funny to ask if any CFC players wanted tickets for the final, enter stage left David Speedie, fists flying.  And if that wasn’t enough some of our mob ambushed Wet Spam at Parsons Green station on their way back from Wimbledon.  All in one night, ahh those were the days. 

A guy I know helped him over the fence so he could run over and have a go at Walker. He played in goal for a non-league team and was banned from playing for a while. 

11 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I'm pretty sure they scored with one of our fans  on the pitch and actually in our penalty area, the ball missing him somehow and ending up in the goal . Dunno if there's footage of it, I know the camera's were there, think it was just for the news though.

 

I remember some bloke trying to retrieve a seat from the pitch in front of gate 13, he was felled by a another seat flying like a frisbee and hitting his head.

We left before the end,  turned on the car radio , the announcer said " back to the game at Stamford bridge...  Next announcer..." If you can call it a game, it's more like World war three out there"  those were the days when you could park a few minutes from the ground !

I think you're right about them scoring when one of our fans was in the pitch. If I remember correctly it was in front of the Shed End. Like you I left the end before the end. I was with a work colleague and he had driven and parked in one of the side roads.

Stop....stop....my eyes are filling up with nostalgia ripping at me...

Jock and Butch.

 

 

On 27/01/2024 at 18:22, Boyne said:

So how come Deadly Doug’s short sleeve shirt has a club badge and Le Coq logo, but Patesy’s long sleeve shirt does not - answers on a post card please?  This match, away at Everton - Osama bin Lineker on the left of the photo - was live on telly, a 1-1 draw I think?  The commentator spent a lot of time droning on about “How dare Chelsea turn up at Everton dressed as Liverpool?”  One in a long line of anti Chelsea twats on the telly.

Was tempted to put this in the music thread yet think it is a better fit here:

 

On 23/01/2024 at 09:08, Gate 13 said:

Tommy “Sponge” Baldwin, so called because of the work, with and without the ball,  he soaked up during a match.  Never less than 100% effort and never went missing when things were not going well.  His run off the ball drawing off a Leeds defender for Hutch’s equaliser at Wembley 1970 was classic Tommy.  RiP my friend, when you have settled in upstairs you might put a heavenly 5 a side team together with Ossie, John Hollins, Cat Bonetti and Hutch.

Very nice obituary on The Sponge in the Telegraph, not sure if the link will get round the pay wall ...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/01/28/tommy-baldwin-chelsea-footballer-fa-cup-europe-obituary/

On 25/01/2024 at 08:20, Boyne said:

A guy I know helped him over the fence so he could run over and have a go at Walker. He played in goal for a non-league team and was banned from playing for a while. 

I think you're right about them scoring when one of our fans was in the pitch. If I remember correctly it was in front of the Shed End. Like you I left the end before the end. I was with a work colleague and he had driven and parked in one of the side roads.

We parked almost opposite the Brittania pub in Brittania Road 

f**king awful night to be honest, I didn't go to the 1st leg , but I heard the old bill were out of order. I'm sure Bates mentioned it in a program as well 

Posted before. Great players and a great shirt.

On 24/01/2024 at 18:52, Boyne said:

That game in 1985.

Posted September 29, 2012

Since first going in 1983 to football, this game more than any other, including our cup finals etc has left the biggest impression on me to this day.

I was 15 at the time, and me and my mate left my old man and his mate at the car,( we used to park near the old Fulham power station). Outside the ground the atmosphere was like no other I"d ever known and have ever known since at the bridge. The que and squash at the bovril gate trying to get into the shed was unbelievable!!. Once in the the shed we just about got to the old tea bar and basically couldn"t move either way from there on. Early on speedie scored and the place erupted. It seemed a comeback and victory was inevitable. But no this was Chelsea of old and the heart was broken by one of our own! ( i"ve forgiven you clive) Didn"t really watch much of the second half of football as the shed invaded the pitch, Gate 13 came from the East and the benches started to rip up the wooden benches and use them as spears towards the old bill! I"m sure I also saw police join the Sunderland attack for their final goal! On the way back to the car a few Sunderland fans were giving it large going towards their coach, me and my mate walked past them and then 30 seconds later heard a noise as they were seen off the premises by some disgruntled chelsea. The following day back at school in west sussex me and my mate were sort of mini celebs with our mates as we"d been there the night before and it was across all the papers, the clubs night of shame etc. Fast forward 5 years to a holiday in greece in 1990 and talking to a lad at the bar, he was a newcastle fan, but had come down that fateful night with some Sunderland mates on one of their coaches. He said time they left London there wasn"t a single window left on their coach. Him and his mates still talked about it to that day and had never seen a night like it!!

I now have MHL season tickets with my two sons 27 and 29  and have to say in some ways they have missed out on what going to proper football used to be like.It just seemed much more of a buzz and exciting back then compared to the disney experience of todays home games!!

Posted many times before but no harm in posting again. Might be during or at the end of season 93-94 i.e. the last season of the old Shed. Looks like the guy third from the left is wearing a Rangers jacket.